diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/custom_column_printer.go b/pkg/kubectl/custom_column_printer.go
index e48003fac60..c73feba8f16 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/custom_column_printer.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/custom_column_printer.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"text/tabwriter"
 
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/jsonpath"
 )
@@ -187,6 +188,13 @@ func (s *CustomColumnsPrinter) PrintObj(obj runtime.Object, out io.Writer) error
 
 func (s *CustomColumnsPrinter) printOneObject(obj runtime.Object, parsers []*jsonpath.JSONPath, out io.Writer) error {
 	columns := make([]string, len(parsers))
+	switch u := obj.(type) {
+	case *runtime.Unknown:
+		var err error
+		if obj, err = api.Codec.Decode(u.RawJSON); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
 	for ix := range parsers {
 		parser := parsers[ix]
 		values, err := parser.FindResults(reflect.ValueOf(obj).Elem().Interface())
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/sorting_printer.go b/pkg/kubectl/sorting_printer.go
index 802e9a81432..9b7892fa682 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/sorting_printer.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/sorting_printer.go
@@ -22,9 +22,11 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
 
-	"github.com/golang/glog"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/jsonpath"
+
+	"github.com/golang/glog"
 )
 
 // Sorting printer sorts list types before delegating to another printer.
@@ -61,6 +63,17 @@ func (s *SortingPrinter) sortObj(obj runtime.Object) error {
 	}
 	parser := jsonpath.New("sorting")
 	parser.Parse(s.SortField)
+
+	for ix := range objs {
+		item := objs[ix]
+		switch u := item.(type) {
+		case *runtime.Unknown:
+			var err error
+			if objs[ix], err = api.Codec.Decode(u.RawJSON); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	values, err := parser.FindResults(reflect.ValueOf(objs[0]).Elem().Interface())
 	if err != nil {
 		return err